What is Disintermediation?

Disintermediation in the business sense is a popular buzzword used to describe many Internet -based businesses that use the World Wide Web to sell products directly to customers rather than going through traditional retail channels.
Based from the example stated by the author and the definition mentioned above, i understand disintermediation as removing all third parties involved in the process of achieving something. In the e-commerce sense, that means taking away everything involved in buying stuffs from the grocery or the mall.
For example, traditionally you would have to do the following to be able to purchase a perfume from the mall:

1. Take a bath and dress up,
2. Use your car and drive to the mall,
3. Go to the perfumes department,
4 Look for your favorite perfume, if you can't find your favorite scent, do no. 5, if not do 6.
5. Go to another mall and look for your favorite perfume
6. Go to the cashier counter; join the queue of buyers, and pay.
7. Use your car and drive back to your home.

But through the use of e-commerce site, you will only do the following to be able to purchase a perfume from the internet:

1. Search for e-commerce sites that sell your favorite perfume.
2. Click for the item you want.
3. Purchase the item using your credit card.
4. Wait for the delivery.

In e-learning, disintermediation takes place in the sense that the usual process of student learning which comes from the following:

1. Discussion given by the professor through a face-to-face session,
2. References, assignments, activities, and projects being provided,
3. School library, and the like, are already eliminated by the internet through the use of websites, and web-based application that provide the same and much more information.

As a teacher, i consider disintermediation as a liberating force since i see it more as an advantage to both the teacher and the students than a disadvantage.
Because of the internet, the amount of information that both teachers and students can share with now becomes endless. Now, references used in school will not only rely on the books they have on their libraries but from the world, through the help of the World Wide Web.

Online Teaching

Online Teaching is one of the courses I took in the Master of Information Systems program I took at UPOU. I enjoyed this subject a lot coz we were given the opportunity to pretend to be an online instructor.

But if i am given the opportunity to teach online, i would surely enjoy it since I would be able to teach and share my knowledge to students from different places and diverse culture. I would definitely find teaching a little more exciting and fulfilling because i know that I would be communicating with people who I know I might never have the chance to meet.

In our country though there are a lot of personal or societal factors that are barriers to online teaching and learning. Some of the them are listed below:

1. Only a small amount of our population have access to the internet. Based from the InternetWorldStat, only about 6% of our total population use the Internet.

2. A lot of people still do not know and appreciate the use and benefits of Information Technology in education.

3. And, since more than half of our country's population are part of the growing Class C family, many are deprived of the opportunity to IT education.

How can we therefore overcome the factors that prevent increased use of information and communication technologies in education?

Based from the barriers stated above, below are some suggestions I can give so that we can overcome these barriers, hence, increase the use of information and communications technology in education.

1. For factor 1, the major reason for this would be rooted to our economic situation. If incase internet access costs cheaper, say PhP5.00 / hour ( which can only happen if electricity and/or IT cost lessen.), then maybe more Filipinos will have access to the internet and therefore will be given the chance to know more and appreciate Information Technology.

2. For factor 2, this could probably be solved by advertising the use and benefits of ICT through the help of media such as television, radio, or newspaper.

3. And for facor 3, this is again connected to our economic situation and also to poverty. I guess the only thing I can suggest here is for universities or college institutes to lower their tuition fees for IT-related courses. Or better yet request government or private sectors to give more scholarships to less fortunate but deserving students.

Online Education

The internet has changed our lives and our society drastically. Now, it's like everything is within our reach! I'm pretty sure you've tried Online Banking, or Online Payment, or Online Shopping, or Online Market, or Online Education. These are just some of the many things we can do right from the corners of our home. Sweet huh?:)

I myself am enrolled in an online educational system . And thru this, i am able to take up a Masteral course even while on an 9am-6pm working schedule.

Here are some major benefits i'm enjoying while studying online :

1. I get to meet people from anywhere since your classmates can come from any part of the world. Isn't that sweet?
2. I'm able to study and work at the same time.
3. I learned to disipline myself to study and read a lot so I can answer my professor's questions and do my projects.